Frontal grille for automobiles



March 20, 1934. B. GREEN FRONTAL GRILLE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed 001;. 28. 1933 I v a lLee h. Green, llialrewood, (Dhio, assignor to "iihe Globe Machine lb Stamping @onr'pany, lOleveland, hide, a corporation of @hio application October 28, 11933 Serial No. (595,613.35

ll (Claims.

My invention relates togrilles of the type in which ,generally parallel louver blades are fastened to cross-bars which extend rearwardly of the common frontal surface of the said louver elements. Grilles of this type are widely used on the radiator fronts of passenger automobiles, with blades of a rearwardly open lJ-section pre senting substantially parallel webs each of which webs is separately fastened to each cross bar. Thus, my United States Patent #1914253 or June 13, 1933 shows a grille of this class in which each blade web has a rearwardly projecting tab clinched to each crossbar, and in which each blade Web may extend through a slot in each cross bar. I

With. the grille construction disclosed in my said patent, the use of separate fingers for fastening a cross-bar to the adjacent portions of the two webs of a blade requires a separately formed slot in the cross-bar through which each such tab extends, thereby necessitating the sawing of two slots in each. cross-bar for every blade which is to be fastened to that bar. Moreover, these two slots must be spaced apart adequately, so as not to weaken the cross-bar, and in practice the two webs of each blade need to be substantially parallel to each other, so that thev air passage between any two consecutive blades cannot be wider at its rear end than at its forward end.

However, for a maximum admission of air through the grille under the suction. of the usual fan associated with the radiator core behind such a grille, it would be advisable to have the two webs of each converge rearwardly toward each other; since this would cause each such air-passage to increase in width rearwardly, thereby spreading the admitted over a larger frontal surface area of the radiator core behind the grille and also causing the convexed forward portions of adjacent blades to cooperate with the rearward widening of each such air-passage to act (after the manner of a venturi) for accelerating the velocity of the admitted air.

My present invention aims to provide a louver type grille which will. readily afford such rearwardly widening air passages between consecu tive blades without increasing the cost of the grille, which will eliminate the separate punchpress operation required for forming the tabs or lingers on such a blade when this is constructed according to my said Patent #1314253, which will reduce the number of saw slots in the crossbars and will permit of a more rigid fastening of the blades to the cross-bars than can be ob (lDl'l. 189-63) a grille construction or the just recited advanall tages in which the blades can be fastened to the cross-bars either by punch-press operations for deforming rear blade web portions, or by bran-- ing; and in which such brazing can readily be done from the rear of the cross-bars without @5 having any of the brazing metal reach either the front of the cross-bars or the exterior faces oi the blades to interfere with a firm adhering of the paint (or other coating material) applied to parts of the grille which are visible from the w front.

In addition, my invention aims to provide a grille having some of the above described char acteristics in which each blade may have only I a single web, instead of having a lJ-sectio'n presenting two webs, and in. which the aforesaid deforming of blade web portions can readily be made in such a manner that the blades will offer an equal resistance toward tilting strains in either lateral direction.

Illustrative of my invention and of more detailed objects or" the same,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of a grille in which upright blades are secured to a horizontal cross-bar according to my invention, and by a conjoint deforming of both webs oi each blade at its connection to each cross-bar.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of the same grille portion, taken from the right-hand side of Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a similarly enlarged rear elevation of a portion of Fig. 2, including dotted circles showing the starting positions of two pins used for de forming rear portions of the two blade webs to the clinching shape as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. i is a similarly enlarged section, taken along the line i-d of Fig. and showing both the blades and the clinching pins as they appear before the said pins are moved in relatively opposite directions to deform rear web portions of the blades, with these pins and the tool parts supporting them shown in elevation.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5--5 Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section allied to part of Fig. l, showing the oblique disposition of the blades when fastened to a part of one lateral. half of a cross-bar in a grille affording a if-front effect.

Fig. i is an enlarged horizontal section through a cross-bar and a blade, showing an embodiment of my invention in which the blade is brazed to the cross-bar, and including "dotted lines showing a portion of a. jig for supporting the blades and the cross-bar during the brazing operation.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary rear elevation, allied to Fig. 3, showing certain features of my invention as employed in connection with a blade which has only a. single web.

Fig. 9 is a section taken along the line 99 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a part of the cross-bar of Figs. 1 to 5, drawn on a scale intermediate that of Figs. 1 and 2.

In accomplishing the objects of my invention, I preferably employ hollow blades each of which is formed by bending a strip of sheet metal symmetrically about its longitudinal medial portion. However, instead of carrying the bending operation merely to the extent of forming the blade to a U-section presenting half of a cylindrical tube as the front of the blade and parallel webs extending rearwardly from this blade front, I increase the bending so that the rear edge portions of the two blade webs contact with each other.

To connect parallel upright blades of such a hollow formation to one another, I preferably use rearwardly open channel-sectioned cross-bars which extend transversely of the blades and considerably behind the front portions of the blades, and I fasten the blades to the cross-bars by means which will not be visible from the front of the grille and which will effectively hold the rear portions of the two webs of each blade contiguous to each other.

When this fastening is to be effected without employing a brazing operation or the like, I provide each cross-bar with upright slots S, each slot being of a width only slightly greater than double the thickness of one of the blade webs W and hence adapted to be entered conjointly by the rear edge portions of both webs of such a blade. Each such slot extends both through the channel-back C of the cross-bar and behind that channel-back into both channel webs C the depth of the slot being preferably uniform in both of these channel webs and a minor fraction of the width D (or horizontal depth) of the channel-sectional crossbar. In practice, this depth of each slot also preferably is many times greater than the joint thickness of the two blade web portions which are to extend through it, so that these web portions W will be pressed flatwise against each other (as shown in Fig. 4) when they are slid jointly into each slot, thereby effectively sealing each blade at' its rear not only at the cross-bars but also in the blade portions between consecutive cross-bars.

After each blade thus has the contiguous rear portions of its two webs thus inserted in a slot S of a cross-bar, I deform the web portions which are behind the channel-back C of the cross-bar and between the two channel webs/C of that bar, so that the just recited web portions will anchor the blade to the cross-bar.

With this in mind, I preferably use cross-bars in which the clear spacing between the channel webs is at least ten times the joint thickness of the overlapping rear web portions of a blade, and deform each of the said rear web portions W partly in one and partly in the opposite lateral direction, so that the resulting anchoring will afford an equal resistance to strains tending to rock the blade in either direction.

For this purpose, the blade and cross-arm assemblage can be set down on a jig plate J (Fig. 4) having grooves G in which the convexed frontal portions of the blades seat, these grooves being spaced to correspond with the spacing of the slots S in the cross-bars so that they will hold the blades with their medial longitudinal planes P parallel to each other and at the desired angle to the front face of the cross-bar. Then I lower into the cross-arm two deforming pins 11 and 11A,

spaced transversely of the front of the cross-arm and supported for movement longitudinally of the cross-arm, each of which pins presents a substantially hemispherical lower end with the tip of that end spaced from the inward face of the crossbar front C by a distance slightly greater than the joint thickness of the two overlapping rear web portions W of a blade.

When these two pins are then moved, in relatively opposite directions, longitudinally of' the cross-bar, they deform the two overlapping web portions W= into two consecutive but oppositely facing cup-segments W", (as in Fig. 3) each of which cup-segments presents a shoulder bearing against the inward face of the cross-bar front C (as shown in Fig. 5) and also a shoulder bearing against the inner face of a channel web C of the cross-bar.

This deforming distends the blade web portions which are behind the channel-back C of the crossbar to a considerably greater area than they had in their previous flat form, and also distends the rear edges of these blade web portions to an S- configuration of much greater length than the interior channel width of the cross-bar. Consequently, this change in dimensions also enhances the firmness with which each blade is fastened to the cross-bar, because the deformed portions would have to be compressed in area as well as flattened before they could be withdrawn through the slot in the forwardly facing channel-back of the cross-bar. Moreover, since the two cup-segments thus formed from each blade behind the cross-bar bear forwardly against the said channel-back at respectively opposite sides of the slot through which the blade extends, the blade is anchored with equal effectiveness against any strains which might tend to rock it about the cross-bar either in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5 or in the opposite direction.

When the blades are of unusually heavy metalas is used for grilles on heavy auto trucks, Where the blades of which may be struck by goods projecting from the rear of a more forward truck each slot in a cross-bar may be wider at its forward end than the double thickness of the metal of the blade and may taper in width rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 7 where the blades are also anchored by brazing B. With at least the extreme rear edge portions of the two blade webs abutting, and with each blade wedged in a slot before the brazing operation is started, this brazing can readily be done without having any of :the brazing metal reach the front of the cross-bar where it might later on prevent a proper adhering of coating material applied to grille.

However, while I have heretofore described my invention in connection with embodiments including desirable details of construction and arrangement, I do not wish to be limited in these respects, or limited to the conjoint use of all novel features here presented. For example, the twin (oppositely directed) cup-segment portions described in connection with Figs. 3 and 5 could be provided likewise (and by operations similar to that described in connection with Fig. 4) when It p each blade has only a single web. Thus Figs. 8 and 9 show this feature of my invention as applied in the fastening of a blade having a single fiat web 13 which has its forward edge portioncurled into a frontal tube 13F. This form of blade also has its frontal portion of considerably greater width'than its rear portion, sothat the air passage between each consecutive two blades will widen rearwardly.

Vilith the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 7, the gripoi the rear edge portions oi the two webs each blade by the walls oi the slots in the cross-arms suiiices also in practice to hold these webs'contiguous, at least at their rear edges, in parts oi the blades between consecutive crossarrns; and when the grille is spray-painted, the coating material seals the joint between the two blade webs. Consequently, no labor or coating material is needed, as with blades of the heretofore common tl-section, for painting the interior oi the blades, since the blades oi my here presented grille constitute tubes which are open only at their two ends, and the blade end portions are commonly concealed by the shell front or other grille-supporting member which also prevents rain or snow from reaching these blade ends.

My here presented grille construction also has the iurther advantage, that when. the rear edge portions of the blades are wedged in the slots of the cross-bars, the resulting assembly can be freely handled as a unit for inverting it (to the position shown in Fig. 4) without having any blade slip off a cross-arm. Furthermore, by thus providing blades which afford rearwardly widening air passages between them I avoid the whistling which frequently occurs when air moves at high velocity, and laterally deflected to some extent by a wind, between parallel blades of a rearwardly open. i.lsection.

However, while I have heretofore described my grille in connection with an upright blade embodiment particularly suitable for use on an automobile, 1 do not wish. to be limited as to the uses oi my here presented grille.

it claim as my invention:

it. A grille comprising parallel hollow blades each consisting of a metal strip bent about its longitudinal medial portion to present two rearwardly converging webs, and cross-members extending transversely of the said blades; each cross-member having longitudinally spaced transverse slots extending rearwardly into it, through each of which slots the rearward portions of both webs of a blade extend; each slot having its walls engaging the oppositely directed faces oi rearward portions or" the two webs of the blade extending through and wedged in the slot, so as to hold the rear end portions of the two webs contiguous.

2. A grille comprising blades each consisting oi a resilient metal strip bent about its longitudinal medial portion to form a hollow blade presenting rearwardly converging webs, and rearwardly open channel-sectioned cross-members extending transversely of the said blades; each cross-member having transverse slots extending rearwardly into it, to a greater depth than the thickness of the channel-back of the cross-mom her, through each of which slots rearward portions of both webs of a blade conjointly extend; each of the said slots being only slightly wider than the joint thickness of the two blade web portions extending through it, so that the said two web portions are conjointly wedged in the slot.

with respect to the said adjacent cross-member.

d. An upright grille comprising superposed genorally horizontal cross-bars of rearwarclly open channel section, provided with alined upright slots, each of which slots extends through the channel-back of a cross-bar and through a portion of each channel web further rearward than the said channel-back; and blades each having its rearward portion extending through alined slots in the superposed cross-bars, whereby each blade presents portions thereoi respectively behind channel-backs oi the several cross-bars; each such blade portion having the parts thereof at opposite sides of a medial plane between the two webs of the adjacent cross-bar deformed in re spectively opposite directions and respectively into engagement with rear face portions of the channel-back of that cross-bar at opposite sides of the slot in the said channel-back through which this blade portion was inserted.

5. A louver type grille comprising generally parallel blades each formed of a sheet metal strip bent about its longitudinal center line so as to present a substantially semi-cylindrical blade front portion connecting two rearwardly converging blade webs, and a rearwardly open channelsectioned bar extending transversely of the said blades; the said bar having transverse slots extending into it through and for a considerable distance behind the channel-back of the bar so as to present slot bottoms in the channel webs of the said bar, each blade having the rearward portions oi its two webs extending conjointly through one oi the said slots and having the rear edge of at least one web thereof engaging the bottoms of the slots in each channel web of a crossbar, the parts of the two webs of the blade which are behind the channel-back and between the channel webs of the bar being deformed and distended to dispose two overlapping portions of both of the said webs behind parts of the said channel-back which are respectively at opposite sides of the slot through which the said webs extend.

6. An upright grille comprising superposed and generally horizontal cross-bars oi rearwardly open channel section, each cross-bar having upright slots extending rearwardly into it through the channel-back oi the cross-bar and through a portion of each channel web of the cross-bar further rearward than the said channel-back; and blades each having its rearward portion extending through alined slots in the superposed cross-bars,

whereby each blade presents portions thereof re- 1 spectively behind the channel-backs of the several cross-bars; each such blade portion having its rear edge deformed and distended to a letter S formation, and having the longitudinal halves thereof deformed into engagement with the rear face of the adjacent cross-bar.

l. A. louver type grille comprising generally par allel blades each formed of a sheet metal strip bent about its longitudinal center line so as to present a substantially semi-cylindrical blade front portion connecting two rearwardly converging blade webs, and a rearwardly open channelsectioned cross-bar extending transversely of the said blades; the said bar having transverse slots extending into it through and for a considerable will llld

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distance behind the channel-back of the bar, each such slot having its width slightly greater than double the thickness of the strip from which a blade was formed; each blade having the rear- Ward portions of its two webs extending conjointly through one of the said slots and having the rear edge of atv least one web thereof. engaging the slot bottom, and means associated respectively with the portions of the blade webs which are behind the channel-backs and between the channel-webs of the cross-bars for conjointly fastening the last named portions of both webs to the cross-bar.

8. A louver type grille comprising generally parallel blades each formed of a sheet metal strip bent about its longitudinal center line so as to present a substantially semL-cylindrical blade front portion connecting two rearwardly converging blade webs, and a rearwardly open channel-sectioned cross-bar extending transversely of the said blades; the said bar having transverse slots extending into it through and for a considerable distance behind the channel-back of the cross-bar, each such slot having its width slightly greater than double the thickness of the strip from which a blade was formed; each blade having the rearward portions of its two webs contiguous and extending conjointly through one of the said slots, the parts of the two webs of the blade which are behind the channel-back and between the channel webs of the cross-bar being deformed and distended to dispose portions of both of the said webs behind parts of the said channel-back which are respectively at opposite sides of the slot through which the said Webs extend.

9. A louver type grille comprising generally parallel blades each formed of a sheet metal strip bent about its longitudinal center line so as to present a substantially semi-cylindrical blade front portion connecting two rearwardly converging blade webs, and a rearwardly open channel-sectioned cross-bar extending transversely of the said blades; the said bar having transverse slots extending into it through and for a considerable distance behind the channel-back of the said bar, each such slot having its width corresponding' substantially to double the thickness of the strip from which a blade was formed; each blade having the rearward portions of its two webs extending conjointly through one of the said slots and having the rear edge of at least one web thereof engaging the slot bottom, the overlapping parts of the two webs of the blade which are behind the channel-back and between the channel webs of the said bar having their free edges distended to a letter S formation, and the said overlapping parts being deformed to constitute two double-walled cup segments opening respectively in opposite directions from the medial longitudinal plane of the slot through which the said webs extend.

10. A grille as per claim 9 in which each of the said cup-segments bears forwardly against the rear face of the channel-back of the crossbar.

11. An upright grille comprising superposed generally horLzontal cross-bars of rearwardly .open channel section, provided with alined upright slots, each of which slots extends through the channel-back of a cross-bar and through a portion of each channel Web further rearward than the said channel-back; and blades each having its rearward portion extending through alined slots in the superposed cross-bars, whereby each blade presents portions thereof respectively behind the channel-backs of the several cross-bars; each such blade portion having the parts thereof at opposite sides of a medial plane between the two webs of the adjacent cross-bar deformed in respectively opposite directions and respectively into engagement with rear face portions of the channel-back of that cross-bar at opposite sides of the slot in the said channelback through which this blade portion was inserted; and separate brazings respectively connecting the rear face of the channel-back of each cross-member to each two blade web portions disposed behind that channel-back.

LEE B. GREEN. 

